One of our goals for our members is to provide opportunities to learn and grow on their faith journeys. We offer several opportunities to read, hear, discuss and share information and experiences. Please explore these opportunities and join us!

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Sunday Adult Forums

During our learning hour (9:10–10:00 a.m.), the Adult forum meets in the Fireside room or the Fellowship hall to discuss various books, topics or videos. Occasionally we have guest speakers who relate additional ideas regarding faith formation.

Adult Forums for Fall 2017

Sundays, 9:15–10:10 a.m. in the Library Classroom

September 10, 17, and 24: “Patterns of Evidence: Exodus” A debate rages over the credibility of the Bible. Most archaeologists today have concluded that there is no evidence that the Exodus of the Israelite slaves from Egypt ever happened. Filmmaker Timothy Mahoney faces this crisis of faith. Is this foundational event of the Bible really just a myth? Mahoney uncovers an amazing pattern of scientific evidence that does match the Biblical account.

Sundays 9:15–10:10 a.m. in the Library Classroom.

October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Martin Luther: Renegade and ProphetPastor Peterson will be teaching from this challenging new book by Lyndal Roper. How did this obscure 16th century monk become one the most influential men in Western history? Who is the man behind the 95 thesis? It is a very full–blooded portrayal of this revolutionary thinker.

(As we mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation this fall, we will be showing the new movie Martin Luther: The Idea That Changed the World. We are doing this in conjunction with First Lutheran on Sunday, November 5 at 3:00 p.m. Come to the class and get immersed in Luther, so you can judge how faithful the new movie is to Roper’s biography.)

Adult Bible Studies

Bethlehem has a number of Bible Studies meeting on different days and discussing various parts of the Bible. All are welcome and encouraged to find a group that allows growth in faith. Discussions and questions are not only welcome but expected! Check out the various current Bible studies for more details.

Thursday Night Bible Study 2017

6:00–6:30 p.m.: Dinner in the Fellowship Hall

6:30–7:30 p.m.: Discussion in the Library Classroom

Daily Discipleship

This Bible study meets on Tuesdays from 7:00–8:00 a.m. at the Santa Fe Grill, 33 S. Main St., Longmont, CO, 80501, and focuses on the lessons for the upcoming Sunday. All interested members are welcome to join! Contact Nancy Tiff in the church office for more details.

Promise Keepers

This group of men meets on Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. in the Bethlehem Peace Fellowship Hall. For more information, contact Pastor Mark Peterson.

Manna Bible Study

The Manna Bible Study for women meets each Monday at 9:00 a.m. at various members' homes. In addition to the study, we prepare meals for HOPE once a month, share prayer concerns, and have meaningful Bible-based conversations. All women are welcome! Contact Phyllis Wright or Colleen Beyer for the location of the next meeting or if you would like more information.

Manna Bible Study and Evening Bunco Group Reach Out

It's always special when our small groups see outreach as a part of their ministry. This past month, the Manna Bible Study (that meets on Monday mornings) and the evening Bunco group got together on a number of outreach projects. Together they:

Collected a huge bag of greeting cards for New Beginnings, the mission congregation at the Women's Correctional Facility in Denver.

Naomi Circle

The Naomi Circle meets at 9:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month (except for July and August) for study, fellowship and mini-brunch in the Peace Fellowship Hall. Our study will follow the ELCA Gather Bible study series in the Lutheran Gather magazine and is led by Pastor Peterson or Deaconess Kristen. The studies are written by Lutheran women clergy and theologians. Our membership is open to all who are interested in joining us.

We also participate in various service projects during the year—creating layettes, serving lunch at the OUR Center, putting together school kits and serving lunch to Habitat for Humanity workers. Many of our members join in quilting at the church on Thursdays, 9–11:30 a.m.

Friday Morning Men's Group

The Friday Morning Men's Bible Study group meets on Friday mornings at 6:30–8:00 a.m. at various members' homes for breakfast and study. Contact Pastor Peterson if you would like more information.

Bible in a Year: Join us in reading the Bible in 2017

We're using the Daily Walk NIV (New International Version) which includes daily devotions, a study guide, and Scripture readings beginning with Genesis through Revelation. Sign up on the table in the narthex; the cost of the guide is $14.00. You can pay online (under Donate: Faith Formation and put "Daily Walk" in the text box) or give Nancy a check marked "Daily Walk" on the memo line. We will begin January 1—communicating with each other by email throughout the year's readings.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Retreats

We have retreats during the year for different groups. The Women's Retreat in 2014 went to the Abbey of St. Walburga; the Women's Retreat in 2015 went to the YMCA of the Rockies and invited Ruth Bachman, founder of The Hourglass Fund Project, as the guest speaker. More details about past and future retreats can be found below. If you have an idea for a retreat, contact Pr. Peterson or Deaconess Kristen.

"Get Wired" at BLC

Bring anything with power cords for recycling–old home phones, radios, computers, etc. You can even bring in non-working strings of Christmas lights, as long as all the bulbs are removed. There is a box in the narthex marked "Get Wired." All proceeds will benefit the women's retreat fund. This will be an ongong fundraiser. Now is the time to start your spring cleaning and bring in those old, unwanted items with wires. For more information, check out www.wiserecycling.com or contact Bev Coody or Deaconess Kristen Baltrum.

Past Retreats

Daring Women of Faith Retreat 2016

This year's retreat was from Friday, September 30, 5:00 p.m., through Sunday, October 2, 12 noon—another great weekend of faith and fun and friends! We went back to the same awesome cabin at the YMCA of the Rockies. There was more good food and probably an adult beverage or two...!

Pastor Sarah Ciavarri, our speaker, was AWESOME! Kristen had the honor of being at a retreat she led this past March for youth directors. It was fabulous and she signed Pr. Sarah up right then and there for our weekend. Check out Pr. Sarah's website.

Women's Retreat 2015

The 2015 Women's Retreat was held at the YMCA of the Rockies near Estes Park this year on October 2–4, 2015. Our guest speaker was cancer-survivor Ruth Bachman, founder of The Hourglass Fund Project. Funds earned from the garage sales and additional fundraiser projects during the past year supported this event. Contact Deaconess Kristen for more information and watch for a summary of the weekend (coming soon). Check out more photos from the retreat on our 2015 Women's Retreat slideshow!

Women's Retreat 2014 at the Abbey of St. Walburga

The following reflections on the retreat are shared by Jan Stoffer's daughter, Debra Stack.

Vespers: The office (or service) of liturgical prayer in the late afternoon or evening, specifically the sixth canonical hour.*

And so, the Office of Vespers at the Abbey of St. Walburga begins. The Sisters in their black and white habits file into the church by twos and split in half at the altar, taking seats on opposite sides of the church. The audience respectfully stands as the Sisters file in. Then the meditative call and response chanting of the Sisters commences. Their delicate song echoes off the walls of the church. The audience stands and sits on cue throughout the service. After about 45 minutes, the service concludes. The Sisters file out after kneeling before the cross. As I leave the church, I feel tranquil; peaceful. The Office of Vespers was just one of many experiences that the women of Bethlehem Lutheran Church shared during our weekend retreat at the Abbey of St. Walburga this past October.

We also shared in the Bible study "Biblical Women Make Their Case." We discussed and contemplated the following women: Abigail (1 Samuel 25), the Shunammite Woman (2 Kings 4:8–37), the Syro-Phoenician Woman (Mark 7:24:30, Matthew 15:21–28) and the Woman Known as a Sinner (Luke 7:36–50).

The studies were led by Sister Hildegard of St. Walburga. What can one say about Sister Hildegard? A beautiful person inside and out, with a sly sense of humor that left us all chuckling more than once. Sister Hildegard's perspective on Scripture gave me more than one "ah-ha" moment. Sister Hildegard also shared some of what her life is like as a Benedictine contemplative nun at the Abbey of St. Walburga.

The setting of the St. Walburga Abbey in Virginia Dale is stunning. Nestled in this valley of Northern Colorado, it is as if the rock formations that surround the abbey open their arms to all who enter with the rule of St. Benedict: "Let all guests be welcomed as Christ."

For some of us, reflection may have been found in our surroundings at the abbey. For others, reflection was found in the camaraderie of our fellow Christians in study and sharing, and for others it may have been attendance at one of the many services held throughout the retreat. As Sister Hildegard stated, "This is your retreat." Truly, this was so, as I believe each one of us walked away with exactly what God intended for us in our journey with him.